SA Fires

[Pog]

There are many fires burning across SA at the moment.

A large fire burning West of Renmark has already burnt 50,000Ha since Tuesday, and is heading towards Renmark West, Monash and Cooltong. There is an incredible amount of smoke across Renmark tonight, with Ash falling approx 20 - 30km away from the main fire.

Another large fire at Eden Valley, just South East of the Barossa has been burning since lunch time today. It has appears to have burnt one of mum and dads farms south of Keyneton, and is moving very quickly to Moculta and Truro. This is the 2nd fire this week that mum and dad have had to contend with. They have been at Eden Valley for nearly 25yrs, and not had a fire near them until this week.

I hope all Swaggers in these areas stay safe, and my thoughts are with the 1,000s of CFS volunteers and farm units that are fighting these fires tonight and over the weekend. They are doing an incredible job!

[chillipepperz]

Thunder, lightening and some nice rain coming through Strathalbyn right now and for last half hour. Hope the rain gets to where it's needed. Thanks to the CFS guys for caring for our communities. Cheers! Andrew

[Marschy]

Not much rain north of Adelaide, but lot's of lightning (not good). Lightning has settled down now just after 2 o'clock.

[smartyingreen]

Not to mention the large fire in Ngarkat still burning,  many swaggers would be familiar with how dense this Bush is and that the access is not great. Also Billiatt Conservation Park has been hammered and plenty of fire activity still occurring there. It is my understanding that some incredibly endangered species live out there and I hope they have escaped- Mallee Emu Wrens and Western whipbirds.
All in all the fire crews on the ground have been doing a great job and the locals are getting some interstate resources to give them some relief. Thanks NSW.

Sent from my GT-N8020 using Tapatalk

[db]

we were at Eden Valley fire yesterday afternoon, the conditions were horrendous, one of the older guys with us reckoned it was the worst fire conditions he'd ever seen. it was bad before the change and 100 times worse when it hit, visibility went to a couple of metres due to the dust and smoke, and it all just took off. we were at a farm doing asset protection and it looked like a scene from an apocalypse movie, blazing sheds and machinery everywhere with embers flying all over. my thoughts are with those who lost homes or livelihoods,  I cant imagine what it must be like to return to your property after such an event, it would be heartbreaking.

[achjimmy]

Stay safe everyone

[Pog]

Luckily Mum and Dads farm just south of Keyneton was fairly well spared. Only a small,corner was burnt, with a few trees and logs. Dad went out there first thing this morning with his fire unit and extinguished the trees and logs to prevent it restarting. Some of the neighbours were not so lucky.

The Fire west of Renmark has reduced and spent most of the day burning back on itself, however another wind change could easily restart it this week.

The Billiat Fire would have some of the Bikies worried, I understand that the do a bit of 'farming' in that scrub...

Well done to all of the Volunteers, the work you do in these conditions is amazing.

[evans52]

The Bangor fire in the Southern Flinders was/is a nightmare.

This one was Wednesday evening about 7pm, just under 24 hours after it was started by lightning. Port Pirie is about 10km to the right of the picture. It looked pretty harmless and there were 2 Water Bombers doing runs.


This one was Friday arvo about 3pm. Thursday afternoon and evening it had reached the bottom of the Ranges and stopped about where the rear of the tug boat is.


This one is from the CFS at 10am today showing the area of the fire. At the time of this post it has gone further North and is uncontrolled.



It's gone through one our favourite camp spots, which is the pic by my user name, and is heading for another one.

[muzza01]

The Mrs parents and her brother have a property each near Wirrabarra. The fires came incredibly close to them.

[Pog]

Nice shots Evans52.

I tried getting some shots of the Renmark West fire, but it was too big / too close, and all we could see was smoke. On Friday, at 4:00pm, it was as dark as it was at 8:30pm as the smoke had just about blocked out the sun.

[evans52]

It's from my phone so the perception of distance is a bit off, as in making it look too far away.

Thursday afternoon about 5pm was pretty similar. Pirie was blanketed in it. Darker than it should have been and had a red tinge. Reminded me of Ash Wednesday - being a 6 year old at the time it's one of the things I remember clearly living in Adelaide.

The Mrs parents and her brother have a property each near Wirrabarra. The fires came incredibly close to them.

Good to hear they got through it ok.

[Yimmy]

We started Vintage at the Winery in Renmark bordering Renmark West on Thursday morning and continued Friday morning,

It was a beautiful morning


However by mid morning with the Northerly the smoke started to build up over the Winery and start dropping ash on us. I had been in work since 2 am so headed home just after 1 pm, on the way home I stopped at Monash and took this first shot looking North this was the eastern edge of the fire


and then looked back up the Sturt Highway to the west


I got home and the wife came in 10 mins after from her work in Berri, this is what it looked like over the house (she has better photos of it on her phone)


Now you have to understand this fire was still 25km from our place but for the first time we started to consider what you need to do and take. The wind condition was such that I was comfortable that it would not get to us and also the amount of irrigation properties between us and it. The Boss then reminded that you can get burning embers dropping and that we live on a scrub block. 
So the list was devised, mine Camper, Boat, Dog  Hers Computer harddrive, Wills and important papers bag packed for her and the kids 

She took off back to work and I made sure everything was unlocked and ready to hook up, our youngest was at his Grandmas so I had to drive from Glossop through Berri and Renmark encased in  the smoke cloud to Paringa and back again, this pic really doesnt show the extent of the eeriness of it, really had the feeling of Dante's Inferno 


Im glad to say that Friday night the change came through, the Southerly hit and pushed the fire back on itself and today the fire while still burning has been downgraded.

My deepest appreciation to everyone involved in dealing with these situations and my thoughts are with those still battling the elements

I have attached a map to assist


Jim

[evans52]

That's just it - the eeriness of it all. The only good thing is they were started by nature and some Wanker out for a thrill.

All Crews do a fantastic job.

[Pog]

I'm not so sure about the Eden Valley Fire. That has claimed a number of sheds, machinery and houses, and nearly 40,000 Ha of farmland, 1and a lot of sheep have also been killed from what I have heard.

The police were sealing off the ignition point on Friday lunchtime, and Dad was there not long after it started. He could see no reason as to why it could have started other that to think it may have been deliberately lit.

[smartyingreen]

Tonight the Riverland farewells many of the NSW Rural Fire units that came to support our local crew. We had the privilege of being able to cook their dinner tonight and buy them a couple of beers to say thanks for a job well done and making sacrifices of their own back home knowing much of their areas also had fires. Thanks to all the fire crews for the efforts of the past week here in the Riverland.

Sent from my GT-N8020 using Tapatalk

[evans52]

I'm not so sure about the Eden Valley Fire. That has claimed a number of sheds, machinery and houses, and nearly 40,000 Ha of farmland, 1and a lot of sheep have also been killed from what I have heard.

The police were sealing off the ignition point on Friday lunchtime, and Dad was there not long after it started. He could see no reason as to why it could have started other that to think it may have been deliberately lit.

I heard that yesterday about the Eden Valley fire. Get the flogging line up ready if that's case.

This was taken of the Southern Flinders last night about 9pm, from the local Beach. It had travelled quite slowly to get to where it is now as it came over the Ranges. Napperby is just to the right of the pic and Nelshaby and Telowie are in the middle and to the left. I was surprised yesterday there no water bombers in the air at all. Considering it's in inaccessible terrain. Today we're looking at winds from the S and SSW, tomorrow is from ESE and the S.

[db]

I've heard the Eden Valley fire was a re-kindle from lightning strike on Tuesday.  We'll find out for sure eventually. 

Re. the bombers, they are usually used strategically for large fires - asset protection etc. plus they are most effective when you can have ground crews to back them up - probably not feasible in that sort of terrain.  The bomber pilots do a magnificent job, sometimes I think they are absolutely nuts how they fly, especially around the hills. 

On Friday we had planes and helicopters helping, and it works really well when they can dump a load on the head of the fire, knock it down and take the heat out for a few moments, and then the trucks can follow in and get on top of it.  Its an experience haring across a paddock towards a fire, and having to avoid a low flying aircraft!

[evans52]

I've heard the Eden Valley fire was a re-kindle from lightning strike on Tuesday.  We'll find out for sure eventually. 

Re. the bombers, they are usually used strategically for large fires - asset protection etc. plus they are most effective when you can have ground crews to back them up - probably not feasible in that sort of terrain.  The bomber pilots do a magnificent job, sometimes I think they are absolutely nuts how they fly, especially around the hills. 

On Friday we had planes and helicopters helping, and it works really well when they can dump a load on the head of the fire, knock it down and take the heat out for a few moments, and then the trucks can follow in and get on top of it.  Its an experience haring across a paddock towards a fire, and having to avoid a low flying aircraft!

Re: the Bombers that makes sense. Hats off to them for the way they fly. I was in the CFS quite a few years ago for a while but never worked around the Bombers but can imagine it would be an experience to have them right on top of you.

[FODFA]

We started Vintage at the Winery in Renmark bordering Renmark West on Thursday morning and continued Friday



Jim

Hmmm I was at Angoves for the start of vintage as well, I bought the first load in, pity the weigh bridge didn't work  we may have been talking to each other even?

Cheers Andrew

[Yimmy]

Lol Andrew

We definitely would have been talking to each other on that night

Got the weighbridge fixed at approx 0730  that morning, woohoo

Well done and said SMG thank you for looking after the NSW boys and girls on behalf of us riverlanders

Jim

[crackacoldie]

Spent 70 hours on fire grounds last week.  The family evacuated one day, although they didn't need to.  Hope all other swaggers have made it through wherever in SA you are!